Sawmill head-block



(No Model'.; 2 sheets-sheet 1. J. I-LMATTHBWS. SAWMILL HEADV BLOCK.

@10.553,351. Patented Jan. 21; 1896.

W M )7l/messes: Inyentor:

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2 sheetssheen 2.

(No Model.)

J. H. MATTHEWS. SAWMILL HEAD BLOCK.

Patented Jan. 21, 11896.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

JEREMIAH Il. MATTHEWS, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

sAwMlLl. HEAD-BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,351 dated January 2l, 1896.

Application filed March 22, 1895. Serial No. 542,805. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JEREMIAH H. MAT- THEWs, a citizenof the United States, residing at South Bend, in the county of St. J oseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sawmill Head-Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more especially to the head-block mechanism for turning and feeding the log upon the head-block base and for operating the knee to move it backward or forward thereon from the saw side of the carriage, by which means the sawyer can operate the head-block unaided and by a simple mechanism lift the log and relieve it of frictional resistance, thus allowing the log to be turned to any desired position for operating uponit with such little exert-ion that a child may move it.

My invention also relates to a novel attachment of a measuring-'scale to the head-block or knee to move therewith and thereon to properly gage and measure the boards upon the head-block for edging the same, all as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a transverse sectional side elevation of a sawmillhead-block carriage and saw with my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2,' a plan of the head-block base with the knee removed therefrom, showing some of my improvements thereon; Fig. 3, an enlarged detail of one of the side plates carrying the antifriction-bearing block and showing the latter depressed beneath the face-line of the head-block base;`

Fig. 4, a similar view of the same with the antifriction-bearing block in its raised position to elevate the log above the said face-line of the base and showing a fragment of a log resting thereon; Fig. 5, an enlarged cross-section through the'head-block shears at the line t 0c of the antifriction-bearing block 5 Fig. 6, a perspective of the head-block,enlarged, from the rear side of the carriage showing the mechanism for operating the knee and for operating the antifriction-bearing blocks; Fig. 7, an enlarged horizontal sectional detail of the connection between the head-block knee measuring-rod and standard for supporting and adjusting the same thereon; Fig. S, a sideelevation similar to Fig. l of the head-block and knee with the measuring attachment in position thereon and carrying a load of unedged boards in position for measuring and adjusting in full lines and by dotted lines in position, properly adjusted to the saw-line; and Fig. 9, a detail elevation of the detentpawl and its operating-arm.

Th e carriage-frame,comprising longitudinal frame-pieces A A, is connected by end crosspieces A2 and tie-bolts A3 'in any well-known or preferred manner. A pair of head-block bases B are placed transversely upon the carriage at suitable distances from each othe'r to rest at their ends upon the longitudinal side pieces A A and be capable of adjustment either toward or away from each other to suit the length ofthe work held thereon, a kneeoperating shaft C passing longitudinally of the carriage and through bearings c in the rear end of each of the head-block bases, and also iitted bya slot and key c2 with small gearwheels D supported and adjustable thereon, which `engage with a rack-bar E' upon the rearwardly-proj ectin g arm E2 of a knee E, having guide-rabbets e iitted in grooves l) in the sides and below the faces of the said headblock bases, the rotation of the said shaft and gear-wheels serving to move the knees of both head-blocks backward and forward upon the head-block bases coincidently to evenly feed both ends of the log to the saw.

The head-blocks are each held fromflateral displacement upon the said iframe-pieces by fiat adjustable plates B', each having straight bearing edges projecting below the bases and slots b to receive clamping-bolts b2 at each end and upon opposite sides of the bases, the heads of the bolts fitting in recesses or pockets b3, cast in the under side and inner edges of the sai d bases and held securely from turning therein. rlhe bolts passing through the slots in the ends of said plates are securely clamped after they have been adjusted to the inner face of the frame-pieces, thus holding the head-block securely at any adjusted position to compensate for any shifting or warping of the carriage-timbers or track-frames and adapting the extreme forward end of the head-block bases to be held or adjusted at all times in close proximityto the face of the IOO saw, thus enabling the head-block, bed-face, and knee to hold the log iirmly until the last board is sawed therefrom. Y

The shaft C is rotated at suitable intervals by means of a ratchet-wheel G and a set of pawls g' g2 g3, carried by a pin g upon a handlever H, freely turning upon the shaft C and guided by a segment-plate H', secured to the side of the head-block bases. A series of holes h, being located intermediately and concentrically in said segment plate, serves, by means of a stop-pin h fitted in a suitable one of said holes, to limit the forward movement of the lever H and consequently the distance moved by the knee at each vibration of the said lever. The pawls g g2 g3 are of different lengths and will fall successively behind each tooth of the ratchet-wheel, thus enabling the lever to actuate the said ratchet-wheel and knee a more limited or closely-graduated distance with ratchet-teeth of a given size than could be obtained by a vsingle pawl. The upper end of the lever H is curved slightly forward and provided with a handle, which, if occasion requires, may be used from the far side of the carriage by an assistant, but is preferably operated by al rod I, swiveled to a block I', hinged to the upper end of the handle H and extends forward across the carriage and above the head-block within reach of the head sawyer, who can thus dispense with the use of an assistant.

A crank-arm I2 at the swiveled end of the rod I is connected by a chain I3 and bail I4 with the pawls g/ g2 g3, the bail-bar passing through vertically-elongated holes in said pawls, thus permitting the said pawls to work freely and independently and also allowing them t'o be lifted all together by the chain and crank when the rod I is turned in its swivel bearing-block I and when it is desired to push or move the head-block knee back from the saw or forward side of the machine. A set of detent-pawls 1573753, also of un-v equal length for a like purpose, are employed to prevent the accidental backward movement of the ratchet-wheel and knee, and these pawls must also be lifted from the front or saw end of the head-block when the knee is pushed back by the sawyer without the aid of an assistant. This is accomplished by the following-,described means: A rod L passes longitudinally from end to end and at the lower part of the base B and supported in bearings in the ends of said base. A foot-lever L is secured tothe forward end of said rod and is turned at an angle close to the end corner of the base B within reach of the foot of` the sawyer, by which means he may rock the rod with his toes or foot to either lift the detent-pawls from engagement with the teeth of the ratchetwheel or lower them to engage with said teeth. A spring-plate L2, fastened to the end of the shears, has an angular elbow Z, which bears against either the under or the upper side of said foot-lever L and tapped into the side plates.

holds it in either its raised or depressed position.

The set of detent-pawls Zc/ 7a2 k3 each have a transverse slot or notch h4 to receive the blade Z3 of a lever L3, secured to the rear end of the rod L, a counterbalance-weighted arm ZL1 of the lever L3 opposite the blade serving to keep the blade raised normally to drop the detent-pawls onto the ratchet-wheel. When the foot-lever L is pressed down, the blade Z3 'presses in the notch 7a4 and lifts the pawls from the ratchet-wheel, and when the foot-lever and blade are lifted the blade will press beneath an overhanging or projecting lip h5 of the pawls and push them back with a positive movement to their engagement with the ratchet-wheel.

In order that the log may be easily turned upon the head-block to receive the saw in the required line of cut, either to square the log or to cut the boards therefrom in a plane which will best avoid the knots and thus give the sawyer increased facilities for quickly turning the log and working out of it the greatest possible number of square feet of clear lumber, I providev suitable antifrictionblocks upon which the log may rest and which are preferably constructed and combined with the head-block in the following-described manner:

The knee E is formed with a recess in its face-board transversely at regular intervals to receive bearings at the ends of frictionrollers M, adapted to t said recesses and project from the face of the knee sufficiently to provide a back bearing for the log, and turn freely in their bearings, when the log is turned by means of cant-hooks, or in an y well known or preferred manner.

The upper end of the knee is inclined rearwardly and an upper roller or more is placed rearwardly somewhat out of line of the lowermost rollers whose journal centers are placed in a straight line, preferably in a vertical plane; but in the larger sizes of mills the line of rollers may be inclined rearwardly somewhat to accommodate bigger logs without an increase in the height of the knee.

A set of rollers N, (four are shown,) whose short projecting journals n are supported in side bearing-plates N N2, the ends of the said plates being supported upon pins fn', projecting from the ends of toggle-links P P2, which pass through the said plates and project into slots O formed in the ends of side plates O O2 secured to the base by screw-bolts O6 which pass through the sides of the base and are The lower ends of the links P/ P2 have pins P3 which pass through a link-bar R and also through the ends of double link-arms P4t P"L fitted or clamped upon fixed pivot-prinsp6 at opposite ends of the said roller-bearingblock, the fixed outwardlyprojecting ends of the pins p6 passing into bearing-sockets O3 in the side plates O' O2 at points immediately below the upper ends of IOO IIO

the slots O, hereinbefore referred to, and which, being more particularly described, consist of straight vertical portions O4, as stated, located immediately over the sockets O3 to receive and direct the rollers with their blocks straight up at the latter part of their upward movement, and the said slots O having receding curved lower ends O5, which allow the end pins fn of the toggle-links P P2 to drop back with the receding bar R to allow the rollers N to pass beneath the plane of movement of the rack-arm of the knee and also admit of a sufficient movement of the toggle-links to secure the full mechanical power which may be derived from the forward thrust ofthe link-bar R. It will be observed that the upper links P' P2 are slotted or cut away at their lower ends to receive the link-bar R, and the lower arms P4 P4 are doubled at each end to work upon the sides of said link-bar R, thus .to allow free and ample movement of said bar in operating the links and bearing-blocks aforesaid.

The link-bar R is connected bya rod S and pin S with a double-armed crank T, secured to a shaft T', supported in the side walls of the base B, and a hand-lever Usecured to one end of said shaft T' is supported to vibrate upon a segment-plate U bolted to one side of the head-block base and fitted with stops u2, which receive a catch as, movable upon the said lever, and a chain n4, connecting the catch' u@ with a rod U4, swiveled to a hinged block a5 upon the upper end of said hand-lever, and projecting across the machine within reach of the sawyer, admits of the operation of said lever and antifriction-bearing blocks from either side of the sawmill-carriage, thus dispensing with the employment of an additional man at the far side of the head-block. The stops u2 in the segment permit the lever and the roller-bearing blocks to be held fixedly at any desired position.

In edging lumber the use of a hand rule or rod has been found inconvenient, inaccurate, and tedious, as the boards have to be piled one upon the other, the edge at each end of the board having to be moved out to the saw-line one at a time, and as the ends of the boards are of unequal widths the wide ends sometimes being at one end and sometimes at the other end of the carriage, and the crooked, knotted, and mutilated intermediate edges being of such irregularity that the boards must be laid and distributed upon the headblock in a pile or load having an irregular or jagged outer or saw-line edge, as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. In order that this maybe done to the best advantage, it is usual for the mill-men to stand one at each end of the load and measure the rough boards as they are piled, the forward man calling out the distance measured to the rough edge in each distance and the back man calling out a corresponding or suitable corrected measurement, which latter may be adopted and called back again, thus establishing the place of adjustment of each board. To expedite this work,"

a screw w3 upon a filling-block near the bolt head e3, similar to the lower attachment of the standard just described. A slide-block 7.05 receives the standard 'w between its vertical slot w and side flanges m7, and two platesprings w8, fitted within the said slot w, press against and hold the said block at any required position upon the standard. A rule Y with a scale measuring frompthe face of the knee to the end of the rule is secured by a-pivot-bolt wf to the slide-block 11:5, a spring w10 placed between the rule Y and the set-nut w11 serving to hold the rule at any position at which it may be placed horizontally, vertically, and at an angle, as shown in Fig. 8, respectively, by full, dotted, and broken lines.

When the boards are being placed to form the load,'the rule Y is held in a horizontal position upon the upper side thereof. The

iirst board being measured and adjusted, the

rule is tipped up at an angle, as shown by broken lines, Fig. 8, and a second board pushed beneath it, thus lifting the slide-block 105 upon the standard a sufficient distance to allow the rule to be placed flat upon the top board, and so on until the load is complete, and the rule may then be placed either in a vertical position or turned back to a horizontal position upon the knee, its free end dropping behind the pin fg' upon the knee until it is to be again placed in use. No rules are mislaid, broken or inaccurately held for measurement, and the work of placing the load upon the head-block is greatly expedited.

It will be understood that the boards are piled upon the base back of the forward end to the dotted line y2 y2, (shown in Fig. 8,) and measured as just described, and then dogged, and the knee moved forward to a point indicated by the scale z upon the base in the usual way until the point determined by the rule will correspond with a like number on the scale, thus bringing the load forward exactly to the saw-line if, ready for edging in the usual way.

The antifrietion-roller bearing for lifting the log from the head-block base may be located at any convenient or preferred place upon the carriage, either immediately adjacent to either both of the head-blocks or intermediately thereof; but the arrangement herein shown and described possesses the most economical, convenient, and effective construction and arrangement obtainable. The toggle-joints and their connections admit of the largest logs being lifted from the IOO IIO

described. The hand-levers with their hinged and swiveled extension-rod connections for both operating the levers, pawls or detents from the saw side of the carriage greatly facilitate the work, and give the sawyer complete and sole control, requiring no assistance to perform all the work required of feeding, lifting, and turning the log and pushing or moving back the knee or knees to receive a new log.

l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a saw mill head block, the combination with the base plate, the knee carrying a rack bar, the gear pinion and ratchet wheel supported upon a shaft at the rear end of the base plate, a detent and pawl to engage the ratchet wheel and a rocking shaft supported longitudinally in bearings at its ends upon said base plate having an oscillating foot lever at the forward end and an oscillating trip lever at the rear end of said shaft for actuating said pawl, substantially as described.

2. A saw mill carriage having a head block upon which the log rests while being sawed in combination with a roller bearing adapted to be raised beneath the said log, and above the face of said base when the log is to be turned, and dropped beneath said face when not in use, substantially as described.

3. A saw mill head block comprising a base, a knee adjustable thereon, anti-friction rollers itted to the face of the knee, and aroller bearin g adapted to be raised beneath the said log and above the face of the said base when the log is to be turned, substantially as described.

4:. A saw mill head block base in combination with a roller bearing block, toggle links, a connecting rod and a lever for operating the same, substantially as described.

5. A saw mill head block base in combination with an anti-friction roller block fitted to the forward end, and a crank lever supported upon the rear end thereof and a rod connecting the said roller block and crank lever for reciprocating the said roller block in supporting guides to raise and lower the same, substantially as described.

6. A saw mill head block base in combination with an anti-friction bearing block fitted to the forward end, and a crank lever supported upon the rear end thereof connected with said roller block and ahandle bar hinged to the upper end of the said lever and proj ecting forwardly, substantially as described.

7. A saw mill head block base in combination with an anti-friction bearing block fitted to the forward endl thereof, an operating lever connected therewith fitted to the rear end of the base, a segment plate to support said lever in an adjusted position, a handle bar hinged to the upper end of said lever projecting forwardly, and a latch supported upon the lever and operated by the said handle bar to engage with stops upon the segment plate, substantially as described.

8. In a saw mill head block, the combination with an adjustable standard, of a measuring scale adjustable with and adapted to be projected and withdrawn from across the boards to be edged to indicate the line of cut, substantially as described.

9. In a saw mill head block, the combination with the vertically disposed adjustable standard, a slide adjustable upon said standard and a measuring scale or rule supported upon said slide, substantially as described.

lO. The combination in a saw mill head block, of the base with the knee adjustable thereon, a standard secured to the said knee, a slide fitted to said standard, and spring for supporting the slide in any adjusted position, and a measuring rule pivoted to the slide and held in the several positions, substantially as described.

In testimony that I clailn the foregoing as my invention I have signed` myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JEREMIAH H. MATTHEVS.

lVitnesses NVM. l-I. RowE, MAMIE GIBBoNs. 

